


the best way to start a friendship

by red_carnations



Series: girl!kaz and the crows [2]
Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Banter, First Meetings, Fist Fights, Gen, Girl Saves Boy, Humor, girl!kaz, it's jesper so obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 01:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21519919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_carnations/pseuds/red_carnations
Summary: Getting jumped in an alley wasn't on Jesper's list of fun things to do on the weekends.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker & Jesper Fahey, slight Kaz Brekker/Jesper Fahey
Series: girl!kaz and the crows [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551076
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	the best way to start a friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Jesper is the giantest nerd and I love him.

Getting jumped in an alley wasn't on Jesper's list of fun things to do on the weekends. In fact, when Jesper ranked potential recreational pursuits, this sort of thing was pretty damn close to the bottom. As he dodged a punch, he could almost hear his father's voice: _"Jes, when are you going to learn to think before you act?"_

In his defense, the progression from taking on a little job for some much-needed cash to two muscular men attacking him at night hadn't exactly been easy to see.

Normally Jesper was at his best in a fight, but that day, he was off his game. His muscles still ached from his last job and his head was spinning out of control, a million pieces of information rattling around his skull instead of the focus he usually felt. A line of bruises along his ribs screamed. Ducking a slash of a knife blade, Jesper cursed himself for being so unprepared.

The thing was, Jesper _liked_ fights and shootouts. He liked the rush, the risk, the need for quick thinking that satisfied the restless part of him, if only for a moment. But this - this was too much. Impossible odds, even for a gambler.

Another fist slammed into his side. Caught off-guard, Jesper stumbled just long enough for the other man to launch a sweeping kick that connected solidly with his ankles. A sharp burst of pain shot through him, and before he knew it, Jesper was rolling across the ground. Dampness from last night's rain soaked into his clothing and Jesper tasted the iron tang of blood in his mouth.

He came up panting, scrabbling at his hips for the pistols that he knew wouldn't be there. Stupidly, he'd left them in his apartment that morning on the assumption that since his latest job was over, he wouldn't be needing them. He would've killed to feel the smooth pearl handles beneath his fingertips. Now, he might very well get killed instead.

The man standing above him grinned a cruel razor-blade grin and lifted his knife. Jesper's heart (already pounding like a jackhammer) lodged itself in his throat. His mouth went dryer than a Zemeni summer.

 _This is it_ , he thought. _This is how I'm going to die_.

Then, the man's eyes went curiously blank, and he toppled like a felled tree. Standing behind him was a short, slender girl in a black suit, holding a cane with a handle shaped like a crow's head.

"Need a hand?" the girl asked. Her voice was a low growl, sharp and cold as ice. It was quite possibly the most attractive thing Jesper had ever heard.

Before he could recover enough to answer, the other man snarled and lunged for the girl. He was at least twice her size, with slabs of muscle covering every inch of his body, but the girl didn't move . . . until she did. So fast she was almost a blur, the girl dodged the man's strike, then swung her cane in a deadly arc. The crow's head found its mark on the back of the man's knee with a sickening crack, and the man went down beside his companion, jaw colliding with the wet pavement inches from Jesper's knee.

Jesper almost managed not to flinch. "Thanks," he said to the girl, surprised at how level his own voice sounded. "You really saved my ass there."

He couldn't see too well in the darkness, but he was pretty sure the girl smirked at that. She offered him a hand up, and for the first time, he noticed the skintight black gloves she wore. The leather was cool to the touch.

"Name's Jesper Fahey," he said when she'd pulled him to his feet, trying his best for his usual grin. Shaken up as he was, he couldn't quite manage it. "And you are?"

"Kaz Brekker," the girl said. She didn't return his smile. Now that they were on even footing (literally) he could see her features more clearly: a strong jaw, sharp nose, mouth an inscrutable line, and black hair cut chin-length and choppy. Her dark, flintlike eyes burned with an intense kind of coldness - a strange, intimidating contradiction. Somehow, that made her even more gorgeous.

Jesper wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers and tried the smile again. "Pleasure to meet you."

The corner of her mouth quirked at that. "I think you're the first person who's ever said that to me."

"Yeah, well, I don't think everyone else was about to get murdered in a dark alley."

Kaz put up one black-gloved finger. "Not murdered. Beaten until you couldn't walk, maybe, but not murdered. You're not important enough for that."

"Can't decide if I should be relieved or insulted by that."

"Why not both?"

Jesper laughed. "Well, whatever was going to happen to me . . . thanks again. I owe you."

Kaz leaned forward on her cane, the crow's beak protruding from between her fingers, and a glimmer of a smile tugged at her lips again. This time, Jesper felt more chilled than attracted (though there was still plenty of attraction there, too). "I was hoping you'd say that. Have you heard of me, Jesper Fahey?"

"A little," Jesper said. Nothing substantial, really - rumors about an upstart girl who'd come from nowhere, sweet-talked a weak old gang boss into letting her run his operation, and gained a reputation for being willing to do anything for the right price. Jesper knew next to nothing about the different rivalries, bosses, and who resented who for succeeding. But even he'd heard Kaz's name.

He wasn't stupid enough to mention the _context_ of his knowledge, though. Instead, he waited for Kaz to speak.

She studied him with those black eyes. "Well, then as you probably know, I'm a member of a gang called the Dregs. I work for a man named Per Haskell. And as I understand it, you've been running with a few gangs yourself."

Jesper shrugged, a little defensive. He didn't really belong to any of the gangs. He was only doing temporary work with them until he could pay off his debt. "What can I say? I'm a popular guy."

"I'm sure." Her eyes flicked downward, then back up; she frowned slightly. "I've heard you're good with a gun."

"Two guns, usually," Jesper said. Instinctively, his hands went back to his hips before he remembered there was nothing there. "Good Zemeni revolvers. My babies can handle anything. But yeah. Why do you ask?"

He knew what she'd say almost before she opened her mouth. "I want you to do a job for the Dregs," Kaz said. "Nothing big - but the money would be good."

"How good, exactly?" Jesper asked despite himself.

Kaz tilted her head to the side, lips pressing together, seemingly doing some quick mental math. "About four thousand _kruge_."

Jesper swallowed. With that much cash, he could clear his debt and still have some left over to spend in the gambling dens for a celebration. And doing another job with another gang might improve his reflexes and help him avoid being caught off guard again. "What would I be doing?"

"Not much, really," Kaz said with a shrug. "You'd just need to wait at a certain location, keep a lookout, and deal with anyone who interferes. You wouldn't have to do any other jobs for us if you don't want to. Just this one thing, and we'll call it even."

It was tempting - _incredibly_ tempting. But Jesper had one more question. "Would I be working with you?"

Kaz nodded. "I'll be handling the most delicate part. We'll meet at the rendez-vous point and head back to the Slat together. If you accept, that is."

"I do," Jesper said, maybe a little too quickly. "You helped me out with these assholes; least I could do to return the favor. When's the job?"

Kaz gave no indication of pleasure at his acceptance, just drummed her gloved fingers on the head of her cane. Somehow, that made him want a sign of her approval even more. "Meet me at this location two weeks from today."

She handed him a slip of paper with curling edges. Even without unfolding it, Jesper could see multiple inkblots. "Can do," he said. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Brekker."

He stuck out a hand. Kaz looked at it for a moment, then took it. She had a firm grip, but released him disappointingly quickly. "And you as well, Mister Fahey."

"Jesper," he corrected without thinking. "If we're going to be putting our lives in each other's hands, I'd kind of prefer if you called me by my first name."

Kaz paused. "All right, then," she said after a moment. "In that case, you can call me Kaz."

**Author's Note:**

> Leave me a comment if you enjoyed it!


End file.
